Did you get the email this week. I did.

Dear Tony, 

It’s mid-year review time. As part of our human resources personal improvement plan, we conduct an annual review and a mid-year review. The purpose of the mid-year review is to gauge how you are doing on your goals you set for 2016. 

Sincerely,

Human Resources

Did you get your notice? Does the company you work for do annual reviews?  Do they do mid-year reviews?

 

Mid-Year Reviews

I used to hate annual reviews and mid-year reviews . . . until I became a manager.

“What? Now you like to harass your employees after you became management?”

No, quite the contrary. If you’ve listened to this show, you know me. You know I love to mentor, train and guide people to achieve their goals. That is what annual and mid-year reviews are about; Setting Goals.  And, of course, achieving those goals.

Does your company perform reviews annually and or mid-year?  What have you thought about them?

“I work for myself, I am self-employed. I do my own reviews, you say. That’s great. If you are an entrepreneur and you don’t do them on yourself and with your staff, you are failing both or you.

It is mid-year.  How are you doing?  Have you checked where you are on your goals?  It’s time to do a self-assessment. That’s what we refer to them as where I work. They are really reviews at mid-year. We are doing our own assessment of where we are with the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Do you set goals with your manager and team each year?

Do you do a self-assessment to see where you are with your goals? Mid-year is the minimum time frame you should check. If your company only does mid-year and annual reviews, you should perform your own quarterly.

It is important to review where you are when you are driving toward your goals. Do a quarterly, a mid-year and an annual assessment of where you are.

 

 Questions to ask yourself for your mid-year review

1. Did you create specific, achievable goals for 2016 with your manager / yourself at the beginning of the year?
   I’ve found through the years that many managers set vague, non-measurable goals with their staff.
   a. When you do your annual review, insist and ensure that each goal is specific and has the ability to be measured.
   b. Define what success is. If you don’t have an agreed upon definition of what success is, you both won’t know if you are successful or will have different ideas of what success is.
   c.  Get commitment from your manager to do what it takes to bypass obstacles as needed.
2. Did you create a measurable action plan outlining what you needed to do to accomplish those goals?
   Once you define specific, measurable goals and know what success is, you must define what action steps need to be completed to the best of your ability. The ability to track what you are doing and when it is completed will keep you motivated as well and have concrete examples of what you accomplished throughout the year.
3. Have you been measuring those actions up to this point?
   It is critical that you keep track and know where you stand. It will be better to pivot or make adjustments to the goals and action steps if you know what your status is.
4. Where are you?
   Take stock of where  you are currently in the path to your goals. If you haven’t been doing so, start keeping track of everything that you have completed. Meet with your manager at least monthly to advise of the status and more frequently if you are encountering obstacles. Ensure that they are following up with any delays or bottlenecks.

The mid-year review is a great time for you to do a self-assessment of your goals and their status. Don’t think of it as a negative thing. It is your chance to let your manager know you are on top of the tasks you were given and that you are keeping yourself and them accountable. I recommend completing your own quarterly assessment even if your manager doesn’t.

Go out and make this year your best year ever.